Like vast green spaces where your kids can safely play to their hearts' content? You'll love Boston's public parks. Enjoy a picnic in the USA's oldest urban park, Boston Common, right in the heart of the city. During winter the aptly named Frog Pond becomes a public ice-skating rink, while in summer you can catch a public outdoor performance at the Parkman Bandstand or ride on the antique carousel. If you prefer a gentle stroll or bike ride, Boston's beautiful Esplanade walkway lines the Charles River.
Famous as the setting for the classic story Make Way for Ducklings, the Boston Public Garden is a Victorian-era botanical garden bursting with bird life where you can ride a swan boat on the lake. For more expansive wildlife encounters, take the kids to Franklin Park Zoo to see gorillas, giraffes, and zebras, or visit the impressive New England Aquarium for all kinds of sea life, a Caribbean coral reef, and Boston's biggest IMAX movie theatre.
There's plenty of other ways to stay active in Boston. Visit America's oldest baseball stadium at Fenway Park, or catch home games of the city's championship-winning baseball, basketball, and hockey teams. The Freedom Trail offers a living walking history lesson, while the Boston Children's Museum and the Museum of Science are two world-class museums that will stimulate kids' minds. Finish it all off by scooting up to the top of the Prudential Tower for impressive views taking in the Boston skyline, Cape Cod's beaches, and the New Hampshire mountains.
Kids love Boston Duck Tours, where amphibious vehicles take them along the Charles River. Seals, sharks, penguins, and Caribbean reef animals await at the New England Aquarium, whose biggest attraction is the Giant Ocean Tank.
The interactive Boston Children's Museum boasts intriguing soap bubble-making tools and a two-storey maze. Take a break from the city and drive down to the Cape Cod National Seashore for a fun outing in the sun. Top off with a whale expedition and spot magnificent finback and humpback whales.